I love squash. A lot of people underestimate it but it is versatile and soaks in flavours really well. I use Spaghetti Squash quite a bit, but I have not tried "pasta" with summer squash and looking at this, I will definitely have to. This is a wonderfully easy recipe Nida brings to us today that we can adapt to suit our taste buds. W.P

Oh my gosh Summer is fully in season - even though we're getting all sorts of rain (??) lol but I'm seeing lots of my friends talk about their farmers market finds and goodies. One of my favorite parts of summer is the squash and zucchini and i absolutely adore squash and zucchini noodles! The marinara is something i've been wanting to try for a while because there is nothing like fresh basil and tomatoes. If you can manage to get high quality olive oil, its well worth it in every scenario. The buttery, nutty taste of a pure olive oil really lends itself well to the sensational basil and tender tomatoes. What you need: 2 yellow squash1/2 teaspoon Himalayan/sea salt Sauce6 Roma tomatoes1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil & Italian herbs2 tablespoons crushed walnuts1 tablespoon garlic flavoured extra virgin olive oil (regular is fine too)1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic)1 teaspoon onion powder (or 1 tablespoon chopped red onion)1 teaspoon smoked paprika10-15 fresh basil leaves1 pitted dateA few sprinkles ground pepperA few sprinkles Himalayan/sea salt How to prepare:

To make the Pasta: Wash the yellow squash, then use a vegetable peeler to peel layers of the squash off. You may want to experiment peeling from different angles so the “pasta strips” come out smaller sized. Otherwise, you can simply peel it, then use a knife to slice down the centre so the pasta noodles are not too wide.

Let the squash sit in a large bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon salt, covering all parts of the noodle. This way, it will drain out the water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes or longer while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the Marinara Sauce: Chop the Roma tomatoes in four or five pieces, and put them in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients. Don’t forget to crush the walnuts with your hands if they’re in big chunks, and wash the basil.

Once everything is in the blender, give it a few pulses until everything is very well chopped. Do not put this on a high powered blender like Vitamix, because you will end up with orange sauce.

Remove all the water released from the yellow squash pasta.

At this point, you can either eat it as it is, or do what I really love:

Put the pasta sauce and squash separately in a dehydrator or oven (with the lowest setting) for a few hours. This way, you get the cooked flavour. Once you can smell a really fragrant aroma, it’s ready to be eaten.

Once it’s ready for you, spoon the pasta onto a plate and top it with the sauce and garnish with basil.

Here's an easy way to serve up a healthy dessert and it is also perfect for the month of Ramadan. Nida goes in depth to help us understand why. Pop 1 of these at suhoor or iftar and you will have a serious jolt of energy! W.P

No bake energy bites are the best way to have fun with your kids in the kitchen and enjoy healthy treats. These no bites are packed with powerful ingredients including the superfood Maca. This will easily be the coolest "keep your kids busy for a while without electronics" activity while kids are off during the summer! The best part is how versatile they are to make. If your family doesn't care for coconut, try dusting it with cacao powder. Mix the cacao powder in stevia to make it less bitter for the kids. Use dates to make it more moist or sweet. Try it and let me know what you think!

Why I heart these ingredients:

SunFood Red Maca supplies iron and helps restore redblood cells, which aids anemia and cardiovascular diseases. It keeps your bones and teeth healthy and allows you to heal from wounds more quickly.

Cranberries contain a powerful cocktail of protective phytonutrients such as flavonoids and phenolic acids which contain protective, disease-preventing compounds that act as antioxidants in the body. Cranberries may also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol, inhibiting LDL oxidation, lowering blood pressure and inhibiting the formation of blood clots.

Almonds are high in fat (the good kind). According to Vegetarian Times, 60 percent of the fatty acids in almonds are mono-unsaturated, a healthful fat that can reduce levels of LDL cholesterol. Almonds are also a good source of vitamin E and antioxidants. Almond skins are high in fiber, which act as a probiotic and improve digestive health and strengthen your immune system.

Coconut is a good source of iron which is crucial for the formation of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that is responsible for getting oxygen to each part of your body. Without enough iron, your cells don’t get sufficient oxygen, which can lead to weakness and fatigue.

Sea salt naturally helps you to build up a strong immune system so that you can fight off the cold virus, the fever and flu, allergies and other autoimmune disorders. It is alkalizing to the body, as it has not been exposed to high heat and stripped of its minerals, nor does it have any harmful man-made ingredients added to it.

Coconut OilThere is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for heart health. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. In reality, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in actively preventing various heart problems like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

Who wants to drink some Algae? No, it's not a dare - if we can down smoothies made of all sorts of funky veggies and use Algae face masks, why not learn more about what other benefits it has to offer? Check out what Nida has for us today!

W.P

I had promised some more detoxes or smoothies and here we are - Today I bring you a smoothie with the single ingredient that is 1,000 more powerful than fruits and veggies. You might be saying what the wha..?! If you're hoping its chocolate, sadly its not (believe me I would be a champion in that category if it were haha!) Its Klamath Blue-green algae. I'm going to give you some detail on the benefits and its source, since its not a commonly heard of ingredient. I also want to stress on the fact that LESS is MORE here.

It comes from the Klamath Lake - home to a particular type of blue green algae called Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, which is similar to spirulina and chlorella, but just a wee bit different.

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is a type of cyano-bacteria that biologically is quite similar to spirulina. It’s actually toxic in most places where it’s grown, but Klamath Lake is remarkably pure and free of toxins so the blue-green algae there can be ingested by humans.

It is the ultimate brain food and a powerful PINEAL GLAND ACTIVATOR! It contains more protein, B12 and chlorophyll than any other food on the planet. It is rich in neuropeptide precursors which are vital for neurotransmission which allows brain neurons (neurotransmitters) to communicate with each other in learning and memory.

“The greatest value of A.F.A. is not only its nutrient concentration, but its effect on the nervous system, specifically the pituitary, pineal, and hypothalamus. People taking A.F.A. have reported an overall increase in mental alertness, mental stamina, short and long term memory, problem solving, creativity, dream recall, a greater sense of well being and centeredness.” – Dr Gabriel Cousens, health guru

Not only is Klamath Blue Green Algae a powerful brain food for the pineal,pituitary and hypothalamus, it is the most nutrient dense food on the planet! In addition to its high potency, the body only has to use a small amount of energy to metabolize it. This makes it easy for the body to absorb and assimilate its nutrients, which it is full of. Klamath Blue Green Algae is full of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, chlorophyll, simple carbohydrates, fatty acids, neuropeptide precursors, lipids, glyco-proteins and enzymes.

We have been working with Muneeba from Cakes by Muneeba for the past one year. We have done several events together and are also her clients. One of our clients introduced us and we have been hooked since then. So we thought it was about time we introduce her to all of you! Her cakes and cookies are not only gorgeous, they're extremely tasty too. She is extremely passionate about what she does and always goes above and beyond our expectations. That is one of the biggest reasons she has a clientele which has built up through word of mouth. My heart breaks every time I see someone cutting a cake made by her. Whenever I see such elaborate cakes, I wish I could preserve them forever just as they are. That is what cameras are for, so take a look at some of her work. I had requested Muneeba to send us a short story about her work along with some pictures. Enjoy! We know you will want to reach out to her for your next big event.

A.K

My passion for baking, decorating cakes and making desserts goes back to my childhood days. As a family, we are obsessed with sweets and desserts. My father in particular has an intense appetite for sweets and my mom loved to create new recipes. Growing up, I remember watching and admiring her. It was wonderful seeing her prepare mouthwatering desserts and gourmet cakes routinely. I aspire to be in her place one day. As a kid, whenever my mom called me to the kitchen for some assistance, I was always delighted to help her. Whenever she would let me gave her a hand I helped her and these were my happiest moments. I have to admit, I just didn't pick up the profession of making cakes and desserts randomly. It was always in my genes and I worked towards making it into a career for myself.

While my interest grows with time, I didn't start professionally until recently. Friends and families, who had tasted my products, motivated me greatly to advance my work to the next level. To polish my skills further, I took a refresher course and then started offering my products to clients. While my portfolio contains a variety of desserts, baking and decorating cakes is my core competency. I offer customized cakes from a wide range of sizes, designs, themes, fillings and decorations. Other products that have attracted customers and gained popularity include fruit tarts, customized cookies and cupcakes. I love to share ideas and immensely value any input that comes from my clients in fulfilling their orders. I feel honored to receive some very positive and encouraging reviews from my clients and they only make me strive for betterment. It has been a pleasure working with Kitchen Cultures on all their events and personal celebrations as well. Now I hope to bake for you too!

You can reach me via www.cakesbymuneeba.ca and my work can also be viewed on my Facebook page “cakes by muneeba”. I sincerely look forward to filling your life with sweetness as well as joy from my cakes.

Gwummmllppp is the sound that I want to make when I look at this picture from Sweet Talk! I just wanna pick these delicious looking brownies and scarf them all down. Unfortunately, I have never been able to develop a liking for dates. I really, really wish I liked them because they are so great for desserts. Here's one brilliant example of how they can be used in a nutrition packed alternative to brownies- everyone's favourite. W.P

Hey you, yeah you. I know your mind went there when you saw the title of this post. Well, guess what? Stay there. Cause you're about to fall in love with these 5 minutes brownies. The recipe speaks for itself. So if you're trying to do something special for someone (read: guys you can't possibly mess this up!) or you're looking for an easy way to do something healthy, THIS. IS. IT.

Now go run your cute behinds to your kitchen and whip these up!

1 cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)1 cup medjool dates*1/2 cup cacao powder (or carob)1/4 cup coconut flour3 tablespoons raw liquid sweetener1 teaspoon vanilla pinch of himalayan salt*If you're using regular dates soak them first in warm water to allow them to soften. DIRECTIONS1. Process all ingredients in a food processor until a ball of brownie dough forms. This will take a few minutes. If the dough is too wet add a tbsp more coconut flour and if too dry add another date or two. 2. Press brownie mixture into a small square pan lined with parchment paper and put in the fridge until ready to eat. You can either cut the brownies into small squares or use your favourite cookie cutter to cut out small 'two bite' shapes and sprinkle with cacao nibs if desired.

*I would suggest letting your brownies sit in the fridge for 20 minutes (to firm up) before using a cookie cutter to make your bites.